Products called “slap wrist devices” are known for mounting watches, pen holders, and storage containers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,727,189 and 8,752,740, and published U.S. patent applications 2003/0155389, 2012/0087216, and 2013/0044215. While such products typically use the term “wrist” they are not in any way restricted to use only on that body part, but can be used on other human body parts, pet body parts, backpacks, bicycles, or a wide variety of other devices.
One particularly desirable slap wrist device is that shown in Chinese Utility Model 202302948 published Jul. 4, 2012, and in a commercial product sold under that Utility Model (and referenced herein as “the prior art lighted product”), which utilize a light transmitting element. The prior art lighted product provides a highly desirable visibility to anyone wearing or using it, for aesthetic or novelty purposes, but especially for safety purposes at night and in low light situations. While the prior art lighted product is successful in performing its ultimate safety-enhancing function, it has a number of drawbacks, including labor-intensive manufacturing procedures, and limited functionality if the product gets wet from environmental conditions, or is on a user's body part when the user is sweating.
According to the present invention, a light transmitting slap wrist device is provided that has significant advantages over the prior art lighted product including ease of manufacture, resistance to moisture, ability to access the light emitting and transmitting components, and enhanced versatility.
The prior art lighted product utilizes a woven fabric breathable strip which cooperates with a low friction middle strip to sandwich a bistable ribbon spring between them. The middle strip and an upper strip sandwich a light emitting and elongated light transmitting flexible element between them. The bottom, middle, and top strips are stitched together around their peripheries to provide a closed element. Since the top strip is flexible a button actuator for the light emitting and transmitting flexible element may be activated, or deactivated, from the exterior of the product, and an opening is provided for removal of the battery for replacement.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a light transmitting slap wrist device is provided which has numerous advantages over the prior art lighted product. In particular, either the upper, middle, and bottom strips are made of a thermoplastic material, or have at least a partial coating of thermoplastic material, and are sealed together around their peripheries using plastic welding. While a number of different plastic welding techniques could be utilized, including ultrasonic welding and friction welding, High Frequency (HF) welding is preferred. In HF welding electromagnetic waves at a frequency of about 27.12 MHz efficiently, quickly, and with minimal labor, permanently attach the peripheries of the strips together. Desirably, one end edge of the top and middle strips are not attached so that—using a pull tab or the like—the light emitting and transmitting element (or at least a portion thereof) therebetween may be accessed. The device according to the invention has enhanced moisture resistance, is much more easily and quickly manufactured, and has enhanced functionality and versatility, compared with the prior art lighted product.
According to other aspects of the present invention, a slap wrist device is provided wherein an external battery casing connects the components together at one end thereof. The battery casing includes an LED immediately adjacent but not embedded in a high clarity translucent or transparent thermoplastic polymeric material (such as thermoplastic polyurethane, commonly known as “TPU”), circuitry, a battery, and an actuator. As another alternative, a fabric bag or like container can be provided at one end of the device, the bag not only encompassing the battery and circuitry, but also having additional interior space in which accessory devices can be stored (such as keys or identification if the slap wrist device is used while a human is exercising, or on a pet's collar). Still further, a safety light (with one or more LEDs, an incandescent bulb, halogen bulb, or the like) can be mounted on an external battery casing.
Also according to the invention, a device is provided comprising: A bottom strip having top and bottom surfaces, at least the top surface of thermoplastic material at least around the periphery thereof. A top strip having top and bottom surfaces, at least the bottom surface of thermoplastic material at least around the periphery thereof. A light emitting and elongated flexible light transmitting element disposed between the top and bottom strips, and wherein the bottom and top strips are sealed together by plastic (e. g. HF) welding along substantially the entire peripheries thereof. And a battery casing mounted at one end of the strips, the battery casing mounting a battery, electrical switch, and circuitry, therein and thereon.
The battery may comprise a rechargeable battery, and the circuitry may include a charging port which facilitates charging of the battery, and a battery indicator. An external safety light may be mounted on top of the battery casing, the external safety light operatively connected to the battery, and desirably the external safety light is at least partially rotatable with respect to the battery casing and includes at least one LED as its light source.
According to a still other aspect of the invention a device is provided as described in the previous two paragraphs only instead of a battery casing and external safety light, an openable and closeable bag is mounted at one end of the strips. The bag contains a battery and circuitry therein, and has sufficient additional interior space for readily removably containing other objects (such as keys and an ID).
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an easy to manufacture, moisture resistant, and versatile light transmitting slap wrist device, with enhanced versatility and functionality; and related other devices. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from a detailed description of the drawings, and from the appended claims.